When Jim Groves looks back on his years at Pasadena College (now PLNU), he remembers both the opportunities he was given and the support that made them possible. A philosophy and literature major in the Class of 1970, Groves was preparing for a career in teaching while also competing in athletics and immersing himself in campus life. Like most of his peers, his education was possible only because of scholarships.
“I can’t remember anyone in my circle who wasn’t getting some type of aid paying for school,” he recalls. “Having ready access to institutional scholarships is what made it possible to attend.”
Those gifts of generosity gave him the foundation for a lifetime of service. After graduation, Groves joined the Army before returning to his hometown of Bakersfield, where he became a teacher of remedial reading for young teenagers.
He also coached high school wrestling for more than a decade, helping students build confidence both in the classroom and on the mat.
For many years, he hadn’t stopped to consider who made his own education possible. That changed in an ordinary moment — sitting in a car service shop, reviewing his tax return.
“I saw how little I had given back, and it dawned on me that someone had paid my way. That was the first time I realized I was beholden to someone for my education.”
“I saw how little I had given back, and it dawned on me that someone had paid my way. That was the first time I realized I was beholden to someone for my education.”
Moved by that realization, Groves made his first gift to Point Loma. Not long after, he received a phone call from advancement officer Kelly Mitchell, who thanked him for his generosity and asked about his story.
That conversation marked the beginning of something larger. “Kelly asked great questions and explained how institutional scholarships worked at PLNU. When she later invited me to support Green4Gold, PLNU’s annual days of giving, it felt like the right way to pay forward what someone had done for me.”
Since then, Groves has become a consistent supporter — and even helped shape the tradition itself. It was his simple suggestion that led to Green4Gold expanding from one day to three.
“Kelly mentioned how hard it was to reach enough people in 24 hours, and I simply asked, ‘Why not three days?’ That year became the first $1 million Green4Gold.”
Today, the impact of Green4Gold is undeniable: more than $5.6 million raised from over 2,500 donors, strengthening scholarships, academics, and student life.
But for Groves, the effort remains deeply personal. Each October, when he makes his gift, he reflects on words Kelly once inscribed in a book she gave him: “We stand on the shoulders of those who went before us.”
“I stood on someone else’s shoulders,” Groves says, “and now I want to be the shoulders someone else can stand on.”
“I stood on someone else’s shoulders, and now I want to be the shoulders someone else can stand on.”
